Adjustable chair.



A. T. PALMER.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1911.

1 ,005,064. Patented. 001. 3, 1911.

R PH CO.,WASHINGTON 1: c

mvrrnn sraras PATENT orrion.

ALFRED T. PALMER, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

All)JUST'AIBLE CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED T. PALMER, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State a ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdjustable Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable chairs and particularly to thatclass with hinged seats.

The principal object sought is to provide a back capable of independentmovement which is automatically controlled by the 4 swinging seat.

is inclined, as in the common rigid-seat Morris chair. It is alsodesirable that, as the rear of the seat is depressed, the angle betweenback and seat should be increased, as the comfort of the user thendemands a more extended position of the body. To satisfy this latterdemand, I have invented and here illustrate a means for causing the seatto automatically control this change of angle, and, by making said meansadjustable, have succeeded in varying this control, as will beexplained. As a further adjustment, T have so designed this means thatit can be rendered inoperative at any time, without disengagement, so asto permit separate adjustment of the back.

In the drawings, which accompany and form part of this application,Figure 1 is a side view of a chair embodying my invention in itssimplest form. Fig. 2 is a similar View of my preferred form. Fig. 8 isa sectional detail on line 8-8 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are details ofthe guiding groove. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on line 66 of 2. Figs.7 and 8 are detail views of the lockplate. Fig. 9 is an end view of thelock-pin.

The frame 1 carries a seat 2, pivoted at 3, and maintained in itsvarious positions by ratchet plates 4 secured to side-bars 5 of theframe, said ratchet-plates co-acting with spring pawls 6, secured toseat 2.

The back 7, pivoted at 8 to seat 2, carries Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed April 8, 1911.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911. Serial No. 619,773.

projecting pins or guides 9 adapted to engage guiding grooves 10 mountedor formed in frame 1. These grooves are preferably curved and, in Fig.1, the essential feature governing their position is that pins or guides9, as they descend in said grooves, shall fall without the arc X--X,which arc is formed with radius 39.

Upon inspection of Fig. 1, it will be noticed that when the seat isdepressed to position .2, the back is compelled to take the position 7.Had the grooves 10 followed the arc X-X, the back would have taken theposition 7 and the angle between seat and back would have remainedunchanged. Reference to this feature will again be made in thediscussion of the other figures.

In the preferred form, the guiding grooves 10 are formed in separatecastings, one to be pivotally mounted on the inner face of each of theside-arms 11. These grooves are each formed with a projecting, threadedsocket 12 at one end, which socket is adapted to receive the threaded'end of a locking thumbnut 18 which passes through an aperture 1 1 inside-arm 11 for the purpose of securing this pivoted point of groove 10in proper posit-ion.

For a purpose presently to be described, groove 10 is formed on an arcwhose radius is 8-9 and, in Fig. 2, it is adapted to be secured in threepositions by means of a lock plate 15 secured to side-arm 11, saidlockplate being provided with three recesses 16, 17 and 18, each adaptedto receive a lock-pin 19 which is free to play in a recess in lug 20 onthe groove casting. Lock-pin 19 is fastened to spring 21 which, in turn,is secured to lug 20 by rivet 22. The free end of spring 21 is slightlyupturned to facilitate the withdrawal of lock-pin 19 from either of therecesses 16, 17 or 18.

For a purpose which will later appear, I prefer to knurl or otherwiseroughen the projecting end of lock-pin 19 and also the eX- posed surfaceof lock-plate 15, as is illustrated in Figs. 5, 7 8 and 9.

Recess 17 is designed to secure groove 10 in position so as toautomatically compel an increase of angle between seat and back asformer is depressed; but, as the comfort of some users might make itnecessary to maintain this angle unchanged, I provide recess 18 forsecuring groove 10 for that purpose. The extremes of groove 10 in thisposition are on the arc X-X, before referred to,

automatically control this angle.

hence it will be seen that, theoretically, the precise angle is notmaintained in the mid dle positions of seat 2, due to the differencebetween radii 89 and 3--9; but this difference is so small as to benegligible, particularly as theslight error is in favor of an increasein the angle, so the phrase maintaining the angle is to be taken in viewof this fact. tions 17 and 18, grooves 10 enable seat 2 to As a furtheradjustment, I provide recess 16 for use when :the seat is in its highestposition and it is desired to release the back of the chair from controlby the seat. This will permit free and independent adjustment of back 7,the same being controlled by racks and a rod 26, as in ordinaryMorris-chairs, without necessitating dis-engagement of pins 9 withgrooves 10. As it might also be desirable to similarly release back 7 inthe inclined positions of seat 2, I have provided an elongation ofaperture 14; to permit the shifting of the socket 12 until groove 10occupies the same radial relation to the inclined hinge 8 as recess 16compels it to assume with hinge 8 in Fig. 2. Before shifting socket 12,lock-pin 19 must be withdrawn from lock-plate 15 and the free end ofgroove 10 need not be locked, as it is no longer a controlling agency,for rack 25 and rod 26 are again employed to control back 7.

It will be noticed as an added function of the elongated aperture 1 1,that a partial dropping of socket 12, not to the position noted above,permits a considerable increase in the angle between seat and back abovethat permitted before such drop, but does not surrender the control, asthe nurling on lock-plate 15 and lock-pin 19 insure a sufficient lockfor the free end of groove 10.

In summingup, the drawings illustrate the groove 10 in two positions ofautomatic control, although more could be provided, if necessary, andone position of non-control, while the method of securing universalcontrol or non-control has been described. It is thus seen that myimproved chair can be so adjusted as to either automatically main tainor automatically increase the angle between seat and back, as the formerdescends, or it can be freed entirely from automechanism is to'beprovided in pairs, each 1. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seatpivotally mounted on said frame, means for maintaining said seat in itsvarious posi- Thus, in the two posi tions and a back pivotally mountedon said seat, in combination with guiding means adapted to automaticallyincrease the angle between seat and back as the former is lowered.

2. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with adjustableguiding means adapted to automatically increase the angle between seatand back as the former is lowered.

3. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with guide-controlsmounted on said frame, and guides mounted upon said back and adapted toso engage said guide-controls as to automatically increase the distancefrom the seat pivot to said guides as the seat is lowered.

4. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted 011 saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with adjustableguiding means whereby said seat automatically controls the angle betweenitself and back.

5. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with adjustableguide-controls mounted on said frame, and guides mounted on said backand adapted to cooperate with said guide-controls to insure automaticcontrol by said seat of the angle bet-ween seat and back.

6. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with guides mountedon said back, and guiding-grooves which are bodily adjustable on saidframe and are adapted to engage and control the movement of said guidesso as to permit said seat to automatically control the angle betweenseat and back.

7. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with guides mountedon said back, and guiding-grooves which are pivotally adjustable on saidframe and are adapted to engage and control the movement of said guidesso as to permit said seat to automatically control the angle betweenseat and back.

8. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with guide-controlsmounted on said frame, and guides mounted on said back and adapted toengage with said guidecontrols to permit automatic control by said seatof the angle between itself and said back, and means whereby saidguide-controls may be so positioned as to release such control withoutdisengagement with said guides.

9. In an adjust-able chair, a frame, a seat pivotally connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination withguide-controls pivotally mounted on said frame, and guides mounted onsaid back and adapted to cooperate with said guide-controls, and meanswhereby said guide-controls may be so secured on said frame as to insureautomatic control, by said seat, of the angle between seat and back.

10. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat adjustably connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination withguidecontrols pivotally mounted on said frame and guides rigidly mountedon said back and adapted to engage with said guide-controls, and meanswhereby said guide-controls may be alternately positioned to insure orrelease control by said seat, of the angle between seat and back withoutdisengaging said guides.

11. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat adjustably connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat in combination with guidewayspivotally mounted on said frame and guides mounted on said back andadapted to so engage said guideways as to permit control by said seat ofthe angle between seat and ack, and means for securing said guideways inalternate positions about their pivots so as to insure or release suchcontrol, as desired.

12. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat adjustably connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat in combination with guidewaysadjustably mounted on said frame and guides mounted on said back andadapted to so engage said guideways as to permit control by the seat, ofthe angle between seat and back, means whereby the guideways may bevariously positioned with respect to said frame, and means for securingsaid guideways in their various positions.

13. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat adjustably connected withsaid frame,

means for maintaining said seat in its Various positions and a backpivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidewayspivotally mounted on said frame and guides mounted on said back andadapted to so engage said guideways as to permit control, by said seat,of the angle between seat and back, means whereby the guideway pivotsmay be variously positioned with respect to the frame, means adapted tosecure the guideway pivots in their various positions and means forsecuring the free ends of the guideways in their various positions.

1%. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat adjustably connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidewayspivotally mounted on said frame and guides mounted on said back andadapt ed to so engage said guideways as to permit control, by said seat,of the angle between seat and back, means whereby the guideway pivotsmay be moved with respect to the frame and means whereby said guidewaypivots may be so secured to said frame as to rel-ease all control ofsaid angle, without dis-engagement of said guides.

15. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidinggrooves pivotally mounted on said frame and guide-pins fast on said backand adapted to engage said grooves so as to permit control, by saidseat, of the angle between seat and back, and adjustable locking meanswhereby the free ends of said grooves may be alternately positioned soas to insure or release such control without dis-engagement of saidguide-pins.

16. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidewayspivotally mounted in grooved apertures on said frame, said groovedapertures adapted to permit adjustment of the guideway pivots withrespect to said frame and guides mounted on said back and adaptted to soengage said guideways as to per mit automatic control, by said seat, ofthe angle between seat and back, and adjustable locking means forsecuring the free ends of said guideways in any desired position. Y

17. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidewayspivotally mounted on said frame, and guides mounted on said back andadapted to so engage said guideways as to permit control, by said seat,of the angle between seat and back, a locking-plate secured to saidframe and a spring-controlled pawl secured to said guideways and adaptedto engage said locking-plate in any position of said guideways to form alock for said guideways.

18. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally connected withsaid frame, means for maintaining said seat in its various positions anda back pivotally connected with said seat, in combination with guidewayshaving a threaded pivot at or near one end, and a locking-bolt adaptedto engage said pivot for the purpose of securing the guideways pivotallyon said frame, guides mounted on said back and adapted to engage saidguideways so as to permit antomatic control, by theseat, of the anglebetween seat and back, and locking means adapted to secure the free endsof said guideways in any desired position with respect to said frame.

19. In an adjustable chair, a frame, a seat pivotally mounted on saidframe, means for maintaining said seat in its Various posit-ions and aback pivotally mounted on said seat, in combination with guiding groovesmounted on said frame, the descending path of which -radually recedesfrom the pivot-point uniting said seat and frame, and guides mounted onsaid back and adapted to so engage said grooves as to antomaticallyincrease the angle between seat and back, as the former is depressed.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED T. PALMER.

Witnesses:

B. E. BLAZO, C. A. WYATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,.by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

